Grocery Shopping and Food Preferences: The Long and Winding Road of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled many consumers to adapt their grocery shopping, food preferences, and consumption behaviors. Based on 18 in-depth interviews with adults in the United States, this study uses a liminality framework to explore how the pandemic altered these behaviors. It also seeks to assess whether individuals have reverted to pre-pandemic consumption behaviors. Results show the mode of grocery shopping shifted; the frequency of grocery shopping declined; and the quantity of food increased in the initial stages of the pandemic with more people remaining home. By summer 2022, more individuals had shifted to online grocery shopping from shopping in-person, a departure from their pre-pandemic behavior. Findings also indicate the frequency of shopping largely mirrors pre-pandemic levels, though the quantity of groceries purchased has declined. Finally, the decline in food purchases is accompanied by increased spending on groceries in all phases of the pandemic.